Today’s Great American Smokeout a good time to quit

The idea for theAmerican Cancer Society Great American Smokeout began in 1970, when Arthur P. Mullaney, a guidance counselor at Randolph High School in Randolph, Mass., organized an event where he asked the smoking population of his community to give up cigarettes for 24 hours.

Today, the event is a nationwide success, commemorated every year on the third Thursday of November, when thousands of smokers join together in their quest to quit. For many smokers, Nov. 21, 2013, will mark the day that they choose to quit. For others, this day will be used to commit to a future plan for smoking cessation.

Thinking About Quitting?

Finding a time to quit is a difficult task. For many smokers, the best way to begin the process to smoking cessation is to pick a day — often a special day that means something to the individual such as a birthday, holiday or anniversary — and choose to quit on that day. CU Health Plan is urging smokers to make today that day.
According to the American Cancer Society, smokers are most successful in their cessation efforts when they engage at least two of the following elements in their plan to quit: telephone smoking cessation hotlines, encouragement and support from friends and family members, guidebooks, nicotine replacement products, counseling and online quit groups.CU Health Plan – BREATHE withQuitline offers participants the majority of these elements and covers individuals’ efforts to quit smoking with free, personalized coaching, nicotine replacement therapy, helpful tools and trusted resources. Highlights of the program include:

Free for CU Health Plan participants and their covered dependents, age 14 and older

Personalized support through five free coaching sessions—via the Web or by phone—with a professional Quitline coach

Receive clinical guides and medically-supported tips from the country’s leading respiratory experts.

Help is here.

The CU Health Plan reminds all relevant participants to take full advantage oftoday’s landmark event by considering their own reasons to quit—specific health concerns, taking back control, making a family member or friend proud—and start the path to cessation along with thousands of others nationwide. When an individual is instilled with the confidence, knowledge and willingness to take the first step, they can choose any day to be their quit day. With nationwide efforts such as the Great American Smokeout and support from programs like CU Health Plan – BREATHE with Quitline, they have the motivation and the support to make today that day.